To Visit the Past
by Sci F.I. Warper
Summary: When a young Bajoran woman comes to the station, her very presence there will have far reaching consequences for its crew, particularly for a certain shape shifter and a Bajoran ex-freedom fighter. Who is she and what is her connection to Kira and Odo? -repost-
1. One

**A.N.: **Hello my freaky darlings. Well, I once promised myself to not go back to some of my old stories because I'd mature as a writer and if I did update them I'd feel the need to go back and fix the earlier chapters because I'm a perfectionist. It sounded like too much work to me at the time. Lucky for all of you, I recently went back to re-watching DS9 and the bug bit me. Remembering how much I've been asked about this story over the years, I present to you the new and improved version of To Visit the Past. Some of the chapters from the old version have been condescended, repaired, and/or changed to fit the new storyline; but the basic premise is the same. Hopefully, if you enjoyed the first incarnation you'll enjoy this one (don't spoil the surprise, please) and if you're a new reader I hope you like it too!

**Disclaimer: **I own nothing (damn it). All I can do is play with their world in my head...and hope I get the characters right.

* * *

Major Kira Nerys stood on the promenade staring off in the direction of her home planet of Bajor. Despite the early hour and her current lack of caffeine (an unfortunately growing addiction influenced by time spent with Dax and O'Brien), she was enjoying a rare moment of peace and calm that she hadn't felt since Bareil was alive. Down below her, the faint rush of air announced the shop keepers finally opening for businesses as the giggle of children echoed along the not yet busy corridors.

The noise brought a faint smile to her lips. While she herself did not have a pleasant childhood, it was nice to be occasionally reminded that it wasn't for nothing. The brutal nights, the fear, the anger, and the fighting; all so that another generation would never have to live through what she did. That they would have the chance to grow up free.

"A little early in the morning for you; isn't it, Major?" a familiar voice sounded behind her disrupting her from her thoughts. Nerys turned; her smile broadening as Odo made his way over to her.

"Nice to see you too, Constable." she greeted as he joined her. "Making your usual rounds I see."

"Yes," he replied, his gruff, annoyed tone not bothering her in the slightest, "Though the Promenade seems unusually inactive for this time of the day."

Kira shot him a skeptical look out of the corner of her eye. While it was true the station was hardly ever without movement of one kind or another, the Promenade's opening hours never struck her as a rush hour in any sort of context. Of course, that could simply be her own internal clock protesting her current wakefulness without even the assistance of coffee.

"Maybe someone broadcasted the Doctor Brekien's lecture yesterday," she joked as she watched the slowly growing foot traffic beneath them. Starfleet Medical had recently dispatched the Bolian physician to the station for a few days to engage in a brief collaboration with Dr. Bashir on the Chief Medical Officer's ongoing research on the Jem'Hadar. Unfortunately, none of the senior staff had been warned of Brekien's habit for off-topic explanations when he gave his final debrief. "I know I could barely keep my eyes open once I got back to my quarters."

"Really?" Odo replied curiously. He seemed to consider her proposal a moment before adding dryly, "I did notice the rest of the senior staff appeared...less then enthusiastic with his research updates."

Though she couldn't be certain, the Major almost thought she saw the glimmer of a smile twitch along his face. His stiff, cross-armed stance, however, suggested the expression had merely been a trick of the light.

"You shouldn't be too hard on him, though." he continued, watching her out of the corner of his eye. "I'm sure he thought everything he had to say was of the utmost importance."

The sound of Nerys' stifled laughter filled him with a satisfying warmth. Despite his limited amount of intentionally expressed humor, it never ceased to please or surprise him that the Major was one of the few beings in the universe who regularly understood it. It was one of the many things he liked most about her.

"Really?" she eventually responded, her tone a bemused mockery of surprise, "I would never have guessed."

"Hmm," he rumbled casually. Uncrossing his arms suddenly, he leaned over enough to grasp the cold metal of the balcony beside her.

"What is it?" she asked in concern, recognizing the seriousness of the stance.

"Maybe nothing," Odo replied, "Maybe something. Major, does something strike you as odd about that young Bajoran down there?"

Nerys glanced over at him in confusion and then in the direction he indicated. Almost straight below them stood a young Bajoran woman glancing up at them in fascination. As the three looked at each other, a small, sad smile crossed the girl's features. Then, without warning, her eyes rolled back as she collapsed to the floor.

Odo immediately leapt into action. Jumping off the Promenade balcony, he swiftly knelt next to the unconscious body and reached down to check for a pulse. At the same time, Nerys activated her combadge, calling out, "Dr. Bashir to the Promenade. We have an emergency."


	2. Two

**AN: **Just a little forewarning...any biological techno-babble that comes out of the good doctor's mouth was made up on the spot. I have some experience in cell biology so I tried to make it sound as realistic as possible, however.

* * *

"Fascinating," the young doctor exclaimed enthusiastically, waving his tricorder wand once more over the unconscious Bajoran woman's form. "Absolutely fascinating."

"Yes, you've said that already," gripped Kira, momentarily pausing her impatient pacing behind him. "Do you know what's wrong with her yet?"

Rather than answer, however, Bashir instead moved to his desk and quickly inputted several commands into the computer. Immediately, the monitor brought up a complex model whose structure vaguely reminded the major of DNA but was surrounded by far too many clumped projections to be anything she recognized. The growing string of information running beside the image offered her equally meaningless explanation.

"Doctor!"

"No, Major." He turned towards her, his tone infuriatingly patient. "I haven't located any cause for her condition yet. However, it might have something to do with the fact she's not Bajoran."

"Not Bajoran?" Kira took a step towards him before casting a quick glance at the occupied bed. The patient in question remained silent except for the faint expulsion of air accompanying the rise and fall of her chest. Each deep, even breath almost gave the illusion she was peacefully asleep in her own bed. Her short, dirty blond hair stuck out wildly against her softly angled features giving the woman a strangely childish appearance. Under the infirmary lighting, however, Kira would now put the woman's age at no less then twenty-four.

Perhaps the perceived youth on the Promenade was the reason the major had chosen to stay with the girl once they moved her to the infirmary. The moment Bashir declared she was stable, Odo had immediately gone to locate her traveling companions (if any) and the vessel she might have arrived on. Remembering what it felt like to wake up in an unfamiliar place, Kira had sensed it might be easier on the young woman to at least see someone of the same race looking back at her if she awoke before he found something. Now she questioned the wisdom of that decision.

"At least not completely," Bashir clarified, returning his attention to the screen. "Her basic DNA sequence _is_, for the most part; but there are several anomalies here I can't explain. Not to mention the protein complexes surrounding it are like nothing I've ever seen before."

Kira felt an inexplicable, cold pit settle along the bottom of her stomach.

"Could they be what caused her to pass out?" she asked, remembering the aphasic virus outbreak a few years ago. Automatically, she found herself already preparing to order quarantine procedures. The station had been in a precarious position back then with just the Cardassians, the politics of the Bajoran government, and Starfleet to deal with. She hated to think what would happen if a similar station-wide attack on the crew occurred with the Dominion at their doorstep.

"No," the doctor's reply assured her as he returned to his patient's side. "They appear to be a natural part of her cellular make-up. In fact, with the exception of her current state, and given her attire, I would say she has a remarkably clean bill of health."

"What do you mean, 'given her attire'?" Kira demanded, eyes narrowing dangerously. Bashir jerked in her direction; his mouth opening in slight surprise. Almost instantly he seemed to recognize he'd put his foot in his mouth once again. At least, that was how Kira thought she remembered the Terran phrase being said

"I just meant she appears to have been...traveling a long time," he stammered quickly, trying to make up for the inconsiderate comment. "Unfortunately not all transports are as..."

She held up a hand to interrupt him.

"Could you just take a guess at what else she could be?" she order, quickly directing the doctor's talkative nature back to topic. While she still on occasion felt the desire to deck him for it, the major had at least learned over the past few years it was possible to manipulate the quirk into something somewhat useful. Besides, Bajoran refuges had been spread to all corners of the quadrant during the occupation. It was logical to assume the young woman was simply half-Bajoran, half- something else. Kira just couldn't shake the feeling of wanting to know what that something else might be.

"I try not to make a habit of guessing, Major." Bashir responded dryly, offering her a small smirk. "But I'll run a full diagnostic and comparison to the sequences of all known species in the database. With any luck, I should be able to identify her heritage."

"Good." she replied, tapping her combadge, "Kira to Odo."

"Odo here," the security chief's gruff voice sounded around her, "What is it, Major?"

"Have you located the ship that transported our guest?" she asked, her mouth tightening into a rigid frown.

"Not yet," the Changeling responded, "And there have been no reports of a missing person, Bajoran or otherwise. I take it the girl has not woken up yet?"

"No, but...," she and the doctor exchanged a brief look, "Doctor Bashir seems hopeful. Please keep him informed when you find something."

"Understood."

Kira nodded as the signal broke before addressing Bashir, "I need to head to Ops right now but I'll be sending one of the Bajoran security officers down here to stay with her.'

"If you think that's necessary, Major," Bashir said, somewhat surprised by the major's suspicion. In her current state, the young woman could hardly be considered a danger to the station; and, should she awaken, he was certain he and the nurses could momentarily handle whatever risks she posed. However, given the current state of affairs with the Dominion, it was probably prudent to be careful. Kira's next words, though, stunned him even more.

"It's not for you, Doctor," she said as the infirmary doors whisked open, "It's for her."

* * *

Bashir was making a few annotations to his PADD when he heard a faint groan sound behind him. Turning, he spotted the indicative twitch signaling the beginnings of his mysterious patient slow journey back to the land of conciousness. Casting a quick glance at her life signs, he was pleased to see them increasing within normal parameters. With her origins and body chemistry still uncertain he ignored the hypospray as he stood up; walked towards the bed; and waited for her to come to in her own time. Within moments she let out a sharp intake of breath, her body instinctively trying to sit up.

"Easy," he exclaimed as he pressed a hand gently against her shoulder to stop her. "It's probably best if you don't move. Are you in any pain?"

The woman's eyes flickered open; and she winced in response. Blinking until her eyes adjusted to the light, she took a long glance around the room until her eyes found his. When her gaze finally focused, she squinted slightly; then frowned; and finally smiled.

"I take it you're the doctor?" she groaned; her features relaxing slightly.

''Dr. Julian Bashir, at your service," he replied kindly, "Miss?"

The girl opened her mouth to respond when a sudden cough sounded to the right of her. Glancing over out of the corner of her eye, she spotted the security officer Kira had sent adjust his uniform self-consciously before stiffening to attention again. Immediately, an odd gleam settled in her eyes as she closed her mouth and turned to face the doctor again.

"You looked at my DNA, didn't you?" she asked as if she were disappointed by a lack of trust on his part. Bashir froze, not having expected such an unusual question.

"Yes," he finally responded after a beat, "We were-"

"Nevermind." She waved off his explanation, suddenly pushing herself up into a sitting position with her other hand. Before he could stop her, she had smoothly swung her legs over the side so they hung loosely from the bio bed. Surprised by the sudden movement, the security guard took a tense step towards the pair; his hand moving instinctively to his phaser. Bashir, for his part, automatically moved to stop her.

"Miss, I don't think you should-" he started to chastise her while raising a hand to stop the guard.

"I'm fine, Doc," she interrupted him casually, shooting him a look he'd seen Major Kira give almost everyone when they landed on her bad side. A kind of subtle dare suggesting silence was the better part of valor. "It's not like it's the first time I've woken up in this bio-bed before."

Unsure how to respond to that, Bashir paused, his hand just inches above her shoulder. The woman's angry glare vanished immediately, melting into a bemused smile that seemed almost as equally familiar. The doctor frowned at her and took a step back.

"Then do you at least mind telling me your name?" he asked, switching tactics.

"Lieutenant," the woman chirped cheerfully, "Lieutenant Kira Meru."


End file.
